Playing a Part
by ficdirectory
Summary: Garcia's theater group gets hit by the flu, and she begs the Emily & JJ to fill in roles she thinks they are suited for.  Fill for the CM Prompt Meme.


This is bad. This is really, really bad. A dreadful case of the flu has hit the entire cast of Garcia's current theatre show, who apparently, don't believe in flu shots. Garcia, as it happens, is fully vaccinated and is now desperately trying to fill in the holes, since even their dear director has asked not to be bothered with anything. Unless it's an emergency. Like death. And even then, Garcia probably would never call him. He gets cranky when he's sick.

In the meantime, this outbreak of hideous illness means that she - an understudy - must take the stage and be amazingly awesome, in place of the even more awesome actress. This leaves two more vacancies to fill. The two lead roles. She gets JJ on Skype, and then Prentiss.

"Oh, thank God you're there…" she says, full of flair from the drama of the day. Emily and JJ's face have popped up on her computer screen - at their own respective houses. "I need you both. Major emergency."

"What kind?" Emily asks, curious.

JJ laughs and waits patiently.

"A _theatre_ emergency," Garcia says, her tone grave.

"I can't sew," Prentiss warns. "So if it's a costume thing, I am sorry but I don't want to make anything worse…"

"_Au contraire_," Garcia interjects. "It's not a costume malfunction. Two of our leads have the most terrible case of the flu known to humankind. They can't go on."

"What about their understudies?" JJ asks, on her game, as always.

Garcia shakes her head. "They got it, too. So does our director. So does the character I'm understudying…"

"Yikes…" Emily and JJ chorus together.

"So, what can we do?" Emily wonders. She's eating popcorn, and Sergio keeps walking on the desk, and sticking his nose in the bowl, before apparently remembering he doesn't like popcorn. It's adorable.

Garcia winces. "Well…there are two of you…and there _were _two of _them_…"

"What's the play?" JJ asks, intrigued.

"Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz? It's kind of like that, except it's the prequel. How the Wicked Witch becomes wicked…that kind of thing. So, I was thinking… Jaje, you'd be so perfect as Galinda. And Emily, Elphaba is made for you."

"Wait…didn't I see that with you in Chicago?" JJ asks suddenly. "There's no way I can sing like that…" she said, remembering The Good Witch and her sweet first soprano voice. "You know it's never happening, don't you?" JJ questions good-naturedly.

"But-"

"Garcia, why can't _you_ play one of the roles?" Emily wonders.

"Because! I have to be Madame Morrible!" she moaned, dragging out the name. "I can't do _everything_!"

"Wait. You want _JJ_ to be The Good Witch…so… No, I don't even want to know who this El-Flaba is," Emily decides, wrinkling her nose.

"She's the Wicked Witch, but she's not really wicked, she's just misunderstood. She's the star of the whole play," Garcia elaborated, really pouring on the praise.

"And she's green," JJ adds, completely serious.

"Yeah, this is never happening…" Emily says.

Garcia detects a hint of regret in her voice. She pounces on it. She thinks Sergio would be proud. "No, but seriously-"

"Never going to happen," both enunciate in tandem from their end of the video chat.

"They're _so perfect_ for you and-"

"Good night, Garcia. Let me know when your show is. I wanna come, okay? I _couldn't be happier_ for you_,_" she smiles, falling into a familiar partial-lyric from one of the musical numbers. JJ isn't good with obscure names, but she remembers tunes just fine.

"Seriously. Tell us when it is, and we'll come," Emily encourages.

"I'll have to work some major magic to try and get a last minute Galinda and Elphaba if you two won't do it…and it's tomorrow night," Garcia sighs.

"Then we'll be there. Tomorrow night," Emily promises. There's a pause. "You know, we can't be _in _the play, but we can definitely help network. We both know tons of people."

"That'd be great." Garcia says, her mood lifting.

The screen goes black a second time, and somehow, Garcia finds herself feeling better about everything.


End file.
